Cantilever shaft assembly for rotating member

Abstract

A cantilever shaft assembly includes a steel pipe firmly secured at one end to a wall surface of a stationary support member, and a core shaft made from a synthetic resin and having a body portion removably fitted in the steel pipe and an end portion located outside the steel pipe. The end portion forms a free end of the cantilever shaft assembly and rotatably supports thereon a rotating member such as a driven sprocket. The core shaft and the steel pipe are locked and held together by a locking device such as a pin or a key. The cantilever shaft assembly is light in weight and can be easily repaired at a low cost when the end portion of tne synthetic resin core shaft is damaged or worn out.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A cantilever shaft assembly for rotatably supporting a rotating member at a free end thereof, comprising: 
       a steel pipe adapted to be firmly secured at one end to a wall surface of a stationary support member and projecting perpendicularly from the wall surface;  
       a core shaft made from a synthetic resin and having a body portion removably fitted in said steel pipe and an end portion located outside said steel pipe, said end portion forming the free end of said cantilever shaft assembly and adapted to rotatably support thereon the rotating member;  
       a locking device operable in one position to lock and hold together said core shaft and said steel pipe and operable in a second position to afford separation of said core shaft from said steel pipe.  
     
     
       2. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  1 , wherein said steel pipe has at least one radial through-hole, said core shaft has at least one radial hole formed in said body portion, and said locking device is a locking pin inserted through said radial through-hole of the steel pipe into said radial hole of the core shaft. 
     
     
       3. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  2 , wherein the number of said radial hole in the body portion is plural, said plural radial holes are formed at intervals along an axis of said core shaft, and said locking pin is fitted in one of said plural radial holes. 
     
     
       4. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  3  wherein said core shaft end portion has a given length, and said radial holes are spaced at equal intervals, and said intervals between said radial holes are substantially equal to said given length. 
     
     
       5. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  4  wherein said synthetic resin forming the core shaft is a material which may be machined and shaped, such that, when removed from the steel pipe, said given length of the core shaft end portion may be severed and a length of the body portion equal to said given length may be shaped to conform to said severed length. 
     
     
       6. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  1 , wherein said steel pipe has at least one radial through-hole, said core shaft has at least one key seat formed in said body portion, and said locking device is a locking key fitted in said key seat of the core shaft through said radial through-hole of the steel pipe. 
     
     
       7. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  6 , wherein the number of said key seat in the body portion is plural, said plural key seats are formed at intervals along an axis of said core shaft, and said locking key is fitted in one of said plural key seats. 
     
     
       8. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  7 , wherein said core shaft end portion has a given length and said key seats are spaced at equal intervals, and said intervals between said key seats are substantially equal to said given length. 
     
     
       9. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  8  wherein said synthetic resin forming the core shaft is a material which may be machined and shaped, such that, when removed from the steel pipe, said given length of the core shaft end portion may be severed and a length of the body portion equal to said given length may be shaped to conform to said severed length. 
     
     
       10. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  1 , wherein said core shaft further has an additional end portion having the same size as the first-mentioned end portion and projecting from an end of said body portion in a direction opposite to the first-mentioned end portion, said additional end portion being normally received inside said steel pipe. 
     
     
       11. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  10 , wherein said steel pipe has at least one radial through-hole, said core shaft has at least one radial hole formed in said body portion, and said locking device is a locking pin inserted through said radial through-hole of the steel pipe into said radial hole of the core shaft. 
     
     
       12. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claims  11 , wherein the number of said radial hole in the body portion is plural, said plural radial holes are formed at intervals along an axis of said core shaft, and said locking pin is fitted in one of said plural radial holes. 
     
     
       13. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  12 , wherein each of said end portions has a given length and said radial holes are spaced at equal intervals, and said intervals between said radial holes are substantially equal to said given length. 
     
     
       14. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  10 , wherein said steel pipe has at least one radial through-hole, said core shaft has at least one key seat formed in said body portion, and said locking device is a locking key fitted in said key seat of the core shaft through said radial through-hole of the steel pipe. 
     
     
       15. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  14 , wherein the number of said key seat in the body portion is plural, said plural key seats are formed at intervals along an axis of said core shaft, and said locking key is fitted in one of said plural key seats. 
     
     
       16. A cantilever shaft assembly according to claim  15 , wherein said key seats are spaced at equal intervals, and said intervals between said key seats are substantially equal to a length of said first-mentioned end portion and said additional end portion of said core shaft.